Redskins: "Kirk Cousins is the right quarterback to move us past the 40-hour Robert Griffin III era"

The Washington Redskins introduced new quarterback Kirk Cousins at a packed press conference today, describing the 4th Round pick as a great fit for the organization.

"This is a team in flux," said Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan. "Way back on Thursday we had Robert Griffin III. And while that was an exciting time full of potential, football is about more than headlines and fun. I think our fans will look back fondly at those 40 hours, but as an organization it's time we past all the hoopla and into a new era. We feel Kirk Cousins provides the steadiness that we are looking for as a team right now."

Cousins says he is excited to take the reins of the Redskins, but admitted it is a tough situation.

"I won't say it's going to be easy to come in here right away and fill RGIII's shoes," said the former Michigan State signal caller. "The guy accomplished about as much as a quarterback can in an evening, a full day and then the next morning. But my time is now  at least until the Redskins sign or trade for a quarterback, which they will probably do later this week."

With the Cousins era underway, the Redskins also officially released Griffin III's draft rights today.

"We could have kept him around as a backup," said Shanahan. "But having both Kirk and Robert on the roster would be a really awkward situation to have. No one in their right mind would want that. We felt it was better to just thank Robert for his service to the team and set him free. Hopefully he still has some gas left in the tank and can be productive for a few seasons."

Griffin says he wishes he could have accomplished more in Washington, but is happy to start a new chapter in his career.

"I am absolutely ecstatic to not be a Redskin," he said. "I was so hopeful that they would let me go after they were dumb enough to draft another quarterback three rounds after me. I mean, wow. I knew it was a crap organization but wow. What morons."